Trash Free ICT

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 80% of plastics that pollute our oceans originate from rivers, streams, and other waterways that flow through urban areas. In 2025, EPA provided funding to conduct a project in the Wichita to reduce the amount of litter in our local waterbodies.

The Environmental Finance Center at Wichita State University, in partnership with the Great Plains Nature Center, the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers piloted a project that uses an in-stream trash collection device and community volunteers to count and catalogue the trash pulled out of Chisholm Creek. This Trash Trap captures litter before it reaches primary waterways, like Chisholm Creek and the Arkansas River.

The trap is safe for fish, waterfowl, and other aquatic life, and serves as a visual reminder about the importance of properly disposing litter. Litter is removed from the trap, sorted, and counted. This data is then evaluated and shared with officials and community members.

Understanding what kind of litter pollutes Wichita streams can inform policies and procedures for proper disposal of trash and ultimately reduce water pollution. Monthly cleanups help reduce trash flowing from Chisholm Creek into other waterways and stormwater system.

Most of the trash that pollutes our rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans comes from sources on land. Plastic trash, in particular, threatens human health, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy. EPA’s Trash Free Waters program is reducing the volume of trash entering our waters by working with partners to implement collaborative solutions that target land-based sources.